Friday, December 30, 2016

High in the mountaintops, past the eternal snowline, and into the forbidding rocky crags lie hidden monasteries where strange priests burn incense, fast, and chant to their Gods seeking enlightenment into the nature of life and the universe. These remote enclaves are difficult to reach but not impossible and raiders sometimes seek them to steal forbidden knowledge and treasure.

A few of these monasteries are protected by more than the priests' prayers. By either hidden rituals or by favor of their Gods and the universe the priests are protected by undead guardians, terrifying creatures given un-life and a purpose to defend the priests and their life's work.

An Undead Yeti Guardian is created when a Yeti corpse is reanimated by the mountain priests or divine powers to guard and protect their monastery. The undead Yeti is a massive withered and gaunt frozen thing covered in white fur. If the creature died a violent death it will show the wounds which killed it. They will haunt the area around the monastery they are protecting, often hiding away in nooks and other hiding spots at the base of the walls, waiting for trespassers to tear apart. They are terrifying foes, relentless and ruthless, they do not quit until their prey is caught and killed. They can be called off by the priests it is guarding to allow visitors to pass. Sometimes one will be called upon to travel with a priest for protection while he travels down the mountains on whatever journey he is called upon.

The undead Yeti's primary attack is it's massive claws. If both hit in the same round the creature can make an additional attack to grab its opponent for a bone-crushing hug doing an additional 1d8 damage. This hug also allows the Yeti to drain one level of life from its victim. It will continue to hug the victim automatically each round doing 1d8 damage and draining one level of life until the victim dies, makes a Saving Throw to break free, or the creature takes enough damage from another enemy to gain its attentions. If the thing's claws (and hug) are incapacitated it can bite for 1d4 damage..

The undead Yeti nestles into the snowy nooks and crevices outside of the monastery's walls. It will remain there for years if necessary until called forth by the master of the monastery or an intruder comes near. While hiding in the snow it is almost completely invisible and will surprise trespassers on a 1-5 on a 1d6. During storms the creature can move around and still surprise foes on a 1-3 on a 1d6.

Due to its undead state the thing is Immune to cold as well as charm and sleep spells. The creature is only vulnerable to fire, spells, +1 or higher weapons, and silver. Fire does x2 damage to the creature. It's undead nature also allow it to climb as per the Spiderclimb spell.

In the cold wastes there live vicious creatures roaming in packs, tunneling through ice and snow, homing in on the body heat of other animals and stripping them of flesh. They are a menace to every warm-blooded living thing and are particularly lethal to explorers and raiding parties huddled in sleep.

The Carnivorous Ice Worm is five to six feet in length and big around as a man's thigh. It appears as a pale naked tube of flesh with a faint fiery glow emanating along the inner core of the worm and from the mouth. The front end of the worm is a mouthful of multiple rows of ringed cutting teeth doing 1d4 damage per successful attack. Four red slits in the worm-flesh are set around the worm's 'head' just behind the teeth. These slits allow the worm to sense body heat up to a distance of 120' in snow and up to 60' while under ice. The worm and its pack will be drawn to any source of heat that is not another ice worm and attack, bursting from beneath the snow or ice trying to gain surprise (see below). The worms are connected as a pack: for every two worms attacking a single target the worms gain a +1 bonus to attacks with a max bonus of +4.

The worm's belly and digestive system secrete a mix of chemicals that create fairly intense heat. The secretions give the worm the ability to use its saliva to bore a hole through snow and ice allowing it to travel almost unseen. The movement rate above ground and tunneling through snow is 120 and the movement rate through ice is 90. While moving through snow the worm surprises its prey on a 1-3 on a 1d6. When travelling through ice the surprise goes up to 1-4. On the worm's death the cocktail of heated secretions will still be good and hot for up to one hour plus ten minutes per hit point of the worm after the creature's demise. The stomach can be stripped out and used to keep one person heated in the cold for this time.

The tail of the ice worm is tipped with a small stinger and poison glands. The sting only does one hp of damage but the victim must make a Saving Throw (vs Poison) or be paralyzed by the venom for 2d6+4 rounds. While helpless the victim will most likely be swarmed by the whole pack to be devoured. The ice worm's venom glands, once they release a dose, take three rounds to refill enough to be used again. If un-used and removed after a worm's death the venom is good for up to twenty four hours. Once dose is enough to coat one medium sized weapon. If it is split into two small weapons the Saving Throw is with a two bonus and the time of paralysis is 1d6+2 rounds. If split among five arrows or bolts the Saving Throw is with a four bonus and the paralysis only acts for 1d3+1 rounds.

Greater and Lesser Wendigo
Cursed beings, eternally hungry for blood, meat and souls.
Greater Wendigo were never human, being malignant winter spirits of hunger and cold residing in far remote areas in the cold north, far from civilization in deep forests and high mountaintops. They are centers of cold and darkness often summoning arctic storms to mask their presence and kill all animal life in their area allowing the beast to consume their frozen corpses. When one comes down from its northern home and encounters humanity it will go on a rampage consuming the physical bodies of victims or bargaining for their souls, corrupting those it can and changing them into Lesser Wendigo. These lesser beings are far less powerful but still very deadly and can pass on a physical manifestation of the Wendigo Curse via biting.

The Greate Wendigo appears as a gigantic gaunt figure with bone white skin and frozen lifeless eyes. Lesser Wendigo are obviously once human with white skin and often showing signs of frost bite on face, fingers, and feet. Neither are dumb beasts, they are both cunning and dangerous foes consumed by an eternal need to eat and eat and eat.....

The Greater Wendigo can tear a victim apart with its massive teeth and claws. It can also regenerate 3 points of hp damage per round except for fire, magic, and wood from the ash tree.' It can see perfectly in the dark.

The creature generates a constant aura of fear with a radius equal to its current hit points in feet.
Those caught in the fear aura must make a Saving Spell (Magic) or suffer the effects of Fear found here.

A Greater Wendigo can summon and maintain a massive blizzard any time it wishes. The radius of the storm is a number of miles equal to half of the Wendigo's current hit points; as it loses life so does the storm. The Wendigo is nearly invisible inside of the storm surprising victims on a 1-4 on a 1d6. Those caught outside must make a Constitution check every full half hour exposed to the blizzard or suffer 1d6 hp damage from the arctic cold of the storm. Those making the Saving throw take half damage. The Wendigo will often snatch weakened victims into the sky where their screams can be heard by their companion. The fiend will then psychologically torture the living by hurling the frozen corpse from on high to shatter on the ground at the feet of the companions. Sometimes it will hurl the frozen corpse at individuals, vehicles, or even the rooftops of dwellings.

The Greater Wendigo preys on weakness and can deliver a curse upon susceptible victims within the confines of the storm. It can telepathically worm its way into the mind of one chosen victim per hour. The victim chosen will be weakened, wounded, sick, diseased, etc; consumed with fear, pain, and desperation and who believe they are doomed. It will promise to save them and end their pain if they surrender themselves to its will. Those who accept the offer take on the Wendigo Curse and become a Lesser Wendigo. The DM has heavy fiat here. The NPC can either choose or if the DM is unsure a Saving throw can be made to see if the bargain is made.

When the Wendigo Curse is accepted the victim immediately transforms into a Lesser Wendigo. Unlike a Greater Wendigo it has the ability to appear as a normal human being. When enraged, hungry, or attacking it will lose control and its true hideous nature will emerge. It will often show its true form as a psychological tactic to shock and horrify its soon to be meal.

The Lesser Wendigo can bite or claw twice per round. It is a formidable opponent taking minimum damage from all damage except fire, magic, and wood from and ash tree. It is completely immune to cold damage. It cannot fly as a Greater Wendigo can but it can spiderclimb as per the spell and sees up to 90 feet in absolute darkness.

A Lesser Wendigo does not regenerate or heal naturally. It can only heal by eating raw flesh, gaining one hp for every two hp damage caused by its bite as it swallows the meat and blood of its victim.

Unlike a Greater Wendigo the Lesser lack the telepathic ability to pass on the Wendigo Curse. They can only attempt to pass it on curse via biting. If they choose to do this and successfully bite the victim, the victim must make a Saving throw to avoid the curse. If infected they will transform over the course of 1d6 hours. The only way the curse can be broken is by killing the Lesser Wendigo that delivered the cursed bite.

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Creature Features: LOVECRAFTExploring and playing the roles of the bad guys (or in this case critters) in all of their entertaining and cathartic glory. In this case: Ghouls, Deep Ones, Serpentmen, Cats, and perhaps a few other Lovecraftian race classes I have set up here at the blog. More coming soon.

The Setup: The PC's are Mythos creatures, champions of the lesser servant races, whom are summoned by their elders to oppose a Cult which is about to complete a ritual to raise their god, an obscure and little known Old One, and end the world in blood and fire.

As horrid as their existence is, it is still existence, and the servant races do not desire the end of the world...yet. They are sure as Hell not about to let some obscure little human cult raise their relatively unknown God to end the world and leave the servant races' Gods out of the picture. If anything is going to end the world they plan on it being Cthulhu, Hastur, and a few other choice beings of worship.

The human cult, so obscure they don't even have an official cult name, is composed of a number of degenerate hillbilly inbred cannibals led by a more socially polished but no less dangerous priesthood. Finding the grimoire of a mad ancestor of one the cult's leaders they have discovered in his mad ravings a possible way to raise their personal Alien God from its prison in the earth. If they achieve this it will mean the end of the earth as the entity will spread fire and death in its wake. All life will be destroyed as the planet is ravaged to ash and slime and the world is then broken apart to drift into space. Or some wacko thing like that. The mad ravings weren't too clear on that part.

Fortunately for humanity, although they do not realize it, help is on the way. The cult's priests have consulted with a wise old Ghoul about retrieving the necessary objects to raise the obsure God. Alarmed, the Ghoul had no choice but to give them the information and then made haste to the fetid warrens of his kin and told them of the plans of the cult. Believing that the cult might actually pull it off the Ghouls quickly sent emissaries to other servant races and a meeting was set, with the elders and champions of each race attending. It was quickly decided that the cult must be stopped and stopped quickly before they actually pulled off their crazy scheme and destroyed the world, messing up the servant races Gods plans for their own Armageddons. Unacceptable!

Given the location of the cult's ranch and the locations of the necessary ritual objects from the wise old Ghoul, the PC's are tasked with stopping the ritual and ultimately destroying the cultists.

The Hills
The swamp peters out and turns into miles of grassy hills. Dotted with the occasional 'sinkhole.'
There are also piles of bleached bones lying here and there among the hills. The holes and bones have a sickly sweet odor about them.

About halfway through the hills the Cavemen will run into a few Giant Ant scouts from the massive colony below the hills.

Each ant is dug into shallow pit just below the grassy turf. The pits are spread out at the top of the hills. When the Cavemen approacheth within ten feet of a pit an ant will pop halfway out of the pit with a 1-4 on a d6 chance of surprise. The sickly sweet odor of the ant or the waving of grass might give the pit away.

If surprised a helpless Cavedope is dragged into the ten foot deep pit for personal time with the ant in question.
If not surprised the ant leaps out of the pit to engage the party.

Once they are aware of the danger their surprise drops to the normal odds. Once they make it through the picket of ant pits they can see the ashy sky and smell the burning lava of the Firelands.

THE FIRELANDS
The Firelands are rocky ash covered hills with open lava pits and flows. Ruins of a pre-human civilization dot the landscape, blasted from existence eons ago by an ancient volcano. Very few animals live in this waste, mostly insects and lizards, which prompt the Fire Ape tribes to range north to more fertile lands for meat and captives.

The Apemen that stole the tribe's women live in cave temple of the ancients.
Their tracks to and from the cave has worn a clear path to follow.
The number of Apemen in the caves and their locations and movements are up to the GM.

The chambers and tunnels are not natural, being rough-hewn but level by a pre-human/ape Serpentman civilization with far more advanced technology. The floors are littered with centuries of rubble: bones, stones, broken petrified wood, etc from centuries of use by the Fire Apes. The treacherous footing calls for use of the Combat Chaos rules:

Scattered throughout the complex is a number of small glowing stones the size of a small hen's egg in a variety of colors. They give a weak light source of 10' diameter.

1 The ledge and cistern:
The ledge leading up to the cave opening is of black volcanic rock and ash. It is roughly ten feet wide. A pool of lava lays fifty feet below the ledge dropoff. A large stone cistern, filled with brackish but drinkable water sits near the opening to the tunnel. A crude wooden and hide cover keeps the majority and ash out of the water.

None have dared to attack their lair before and the arrogant Apemen do not keep a guard out here.

Lava damage
⦁Fall into a pit: death
⦁Lava flow: 2d6 per round while exposed.

2 Entry tunnel:
A cube shape roughly fifteen feet wide and forty feet long. The tunnel is dim save for the dim light from outside the caves and the orange glow from the heart chamber.

3 Heart chamber:
The central chamber of the cave complex. It is roughly one hundred by seventy feet. The flat, smooth ceilng rises thirty feet into the air. A large lava pit drops twenty feet in the center of the chamber. Five more tunnels branch off and four ancient carved columns stand in the cave corners. The floor is worn down and the walls are faded mosaics and carvings of serpentmen and strange beasts. Strange glyphs which the Cavemen have no idea are run around the chamber.

A surprise lurks on the ceiling. A giant spider the size of a pony lairs here, fed by the Apemen from their raids, and acts as a guard. It lurks on the ceiling and will attempt to drop on and surprise the Cavemen after they enter.

4 Sword chamber:
A narrow unlit tunnel leads to a thirty-five by thirty feet chamber with a flat ceiling rising thirty feet. The room is dominated by a three tier platform of glossy green stone rising fifteen feet into the air. Atop the platform is a two-handed sword, stuck point first. It is a +1 sword, shiny and as strong as the day it was forged.

Any Caveman pulling the sword sets off an ancient blade trap.
Gears grind and long closed slots open across the platform and walls. Ribbon blades whip out of the slots filling the room. The ancient trap winds down after three rounds of edged chaos. Each round a Caveman remains he must make a Saving throw or take 2d6 damage. Once the trap has unwound it is inert. The room is now an obstacle course of dead blades causing movement to be halved in the room.

5 Guardian's den:
A small tunnel leads to a squalid den. The smell is palpable halfway to the lair.
Feces, bones, and God knows what else encrust this chamber. Chained to the wall are a dozen baboons which are used as dogs by the Fire Apes. If the Cavemen are discovered the set loose upon them in a wild melee rush.Baboons
HD: 1
Hp: 6
AC: 7 [12]
Attack: +1 to hit, Bite ( 1d4)
Saving Throw: 17
Move: 120/40
Alignment: Neutral

6 Apeman den:
Slightly less squalid than the Baboon den is this room. The lair itself is a large chamber filled with dirty furs, bones, feathers, shrunken heads, and other trinkets in piles all across the room or hanging from cracks and carved frescoes on the walls. Ancient wooden bed frames, smashed and petrified with age, lay in the corners. A small fire in the center of the room is the only illumination.

A large crystal pylon (marked with a C on the map) stands in a corner of the den, a four sided pyramid.
It is an ancient teleport device. One can step through the flat side facing out and emerge from an identical pylon in Area 10. The teleport works both ways. If a heavy object such as a petrified table or large boulder is placed in front of it the teleport does not work. Only one creature at a time can enter the pylons. The Apemen do not like using the pylon due to their primitive superstition but will do so if they know there are invaders in the caves. It will most likely be used as a flanking device.

During the day a few Apemen children and women are here. During the evening the room is filled with males, females, and children piled into sleeping heaps.

7 Pyramid chamber:
A large 20' four sided pyramid of black stone. Atop the pyramid is a giantic petrified lizard head with two glowing red eyes. The glow comes from two special glow gems. When touched by a living thing that has lost hit points they automatically heal 1d6 hp and the stone goes dark, never to be used again.

8 Secret room:
Ancient petrified chests, locks and hinges long rusted away. Inside are piles of gold and silver coins. The Cavedweebs have no idea what these thing are, other than possibly shiny amusements to trade for other items. Two more of the red healing stones are here, in a cracking lizard skin pouch.

A large four feet tall stone jar stands in the center of the room. The lid can be pried off. To do so breaks the ancient spell keeping its prisoner locked away. A Spawn of Tsathoggua springs out with a roll of 1-4 chance on a 1d6 to surprise the Cavefodder. It is super pissed and ready to take out its frustrations.

The Spawn is a tarry ooze which can move up walls, along ceilings, or through the smallest cracks. It is immune to normal weapons, only magical weapons, spells, or fire damages the thing. It attacks up to three times per round with whipping tentacle doing 1d6 damage per hit. It can also choose to make only one attack per round, engulfing a victim in its body. It can ony do this to one man-sized victim at a time. The victim must make a Saving Throw (Dragon Breath) or be fully engulfed and take 1d6 damage per round as he is digested. If he made the Saving throw the victim is only partially engulfed and can fight back. Any attacks on the Spawn when it has fully engulfed a victim does half to the victim inside and none to the Spawn unless it is vulnerable to the attack. If the Spawn is killed before the victim is digested, the victim survives.

9 Pillar room:
The skeleton of a giant Ape, at least ten feet tall, slumps chained between two pillars. It is long dead. Shreds of mummified flesh and teeth marks cover the bony frame. Light from the Cavemen's torches or glowstones cause shadows to move on the skeleton, giving the illusion that it is moving.

10 Lava bridges
The room is a large chamber. In the center is a series of lava pits. The room is guarded with Apemen and Baboons. To get past the Cavies must defeat them.

A crystal pylon pyramid teleporter stands in on corner linked to Area 6.

11 Tunnel
Roughly ten feet wide. The tunnel is dimly lit in orange from the lava pits on each end.

12 Lava pits/Throne room:
A massive room with numerous lava pits cut into the floor.
One of the step stones over a pit is trapped. When stepped on it flips throwing whoever stepped on it. Save or die.
Another small tunnel leads from the chamber.

Over one of the pits a group of Apemen have stretched logs and are roasting what looks like a small gaggle of Cavehobbits caught earlier for supper. They do not take kindly to the interruption.

In the far end of the chamber, past the myriad pits, sits a massive onyx throne and on the throne is the Fire God of the Apemen.

A half a dozen frightened Cavewomen are chained to the wall behind the throne. Fresh and old blackened and chewed Cavewomen bones lie in heaps around the throne.

The Fire God is an alien creature which fell to earth eons ago; a Rock Ape. It is gigantic, covered in rocky hide and has evil glowing red eyes. It is cruel and prefers to eat the meat of Cavewomen and the occasional Cavebaby. It spends much of its time bathing in the lava or sitting on the massive onyx throne.

The Rock Ape is immune to the heat of the lava and can swim through it.
When the Rock Ape emerges from the lava it gains an extra +1d4 to damage from being glowing hot. This lasts for 1d6+6 rounds. It can be renewed if the Rock Ape dives into the lava and reemerges.

13 The Lair of Gorchutk
A hidden room, a former holy shrine to the Serpentmen, converted into a swinging Apemen bachelor pad by the massive Apeman warleader and second in command to the Fire God. The room is dominated by a massive fur and straw pallet, massive humanoid and dinosaur skull furniture, and several glowstones for illumination. Gorchutk has a fetish for Cavehobbit women and two of the feral shorties live here with him. He retains the secret door to the room as a means of privacy. His men can get his attention by banging on the hidden stone door, they all know its here

If aroused from his party time (such as by a massive brawl with the Apemen and Fire God in Area 12) Gorchutk will attack savagely with a metal battleaxe he found at the former shirine. His Cavehobbit lovebunnies will attack as well.

The female Cavehobbits have been together a long time. If they attack the same target they get a +1 bonus to attack.

14 Tunnel of Death
This long twisting tunnel is one giant death trap. When the Cavemeats reach the end the trap is sprung. A stone door drops down over the entrance and a pulse of energy surges through the tunnel, the last gasp of antediluvian Serpentman war technology, the Madness Ray. Everyone caught in the tunnel must make a Saving throw (death ray) or be struck with a berserk rage and attack everyone else in the tunnel.

While berserking the Caveberserks receive a +2 bonus to attacks and damage rolls. The effect lasts for 2d6+6 rounds then they return to normal.

The door at the end of the tunnel can be opened by finding the hidden switch, a 1 in 8 chance per round.

Endgame
Survive. Get the women. Gain a few items. Go home as big heroes.

Sunday, November 6, 2016

Assaulting expendables with traps and beasts. Mangling the unwary, quelling the DM blood-thirst which rises....

If you maul and murder too many of the Cavemen you can have mercy (let your players sweat it, don't tell them you actually have mercy and a backup plan) and boost some numbers before the final crawl into the fire caves.

The Fire Apes have ranged far and wide ravaging othe tribes as well. If they need a few extras to boost the numbers its entirely OK to have a few members of one of these tribes encounter the player Cavemen and join up to head into the finale.

It's also pretty railroady but this kind of thing is really just an excuse to sit back, throw dice, and try not to die last. Character development is not a high priority. It's not meant for long-term character driven play. It's a lot like a horror or survival movie. Its meant for one or two shot amusement and a big part of that amusement is trying to stay alive to the last scene.

So let's get to it:
First a crappy homemade map!
The Cavemen's home cave is in the north hills. The Fire Apes raid from the Fire Lands, beyond the southern edge of the map.

Home Caves
The Cavemen live in a nice hilly region with plenty of game and vegetation to forage. There are a number of caves to protect them from the weather and life is good.

The Fire Ape raid caught them totally by surprise. The apemen had never journeyed this far north before.
Their tracks lead south, towards the river.

The Journey
I'm going with a series of set encounters for this. Add as needed.

An important consideration for the party will be rest, food, etc. A night in a wet swamp surrounded by snakes and eaten alive by mosquitoes is not good rest. Penalize actions and no healing til they do get a proper camp.

A Caveman's life away from the cave is tough. At least game is plentiful until they get to the Fire Lands.

The River
An hour's travel from the cave.
Nearly a hundred feet wide. It is heavy with fish and almost 30' deep at the center.
Crocodiles and snakes occasionally hunt this bend of the river.

If the Cavemen choose to swim, as opposed to say floating on a log, they will have to make a Strength check to avoid being pulled under by the current. IF they are pulled under they must make Saving Throw to reach the surface or begin drowning as per your rules of choice.

If you need to throw in some excitement throw a crocodile at them as they reach the other side of the river.
If they've annoyed you throw three or four at them.

Forest
The forest is a half days journey wide.
It is lush and thick with trees, bushes, and furry animals of all sorts.
Perfect or a roaming pack of remnant Raptor dinosaurs out to get some Cave meat.
Sweet sweet Cave meat.

One per player should be plenty to rip up a few Cavemen and scare the crap outta the rest.

Raptors
You've seen Jurassic Park, you know what they look like.
OH, btw, This is their home territory and they are fantastic hunters: they gain surprise on a 1-3 on a 1d6.
HD: 3
Hp: 15
AC: 5 [14]
Attack: +3 to hit, two claws ( 1d6) or one bite (1d8)
Saving Throw: 15
Move: 150/50
Alignment: Neutral

Dead Raptors have fantastic hide for armor (+3), and their claws make excellent daggers (1d4). Plus they taste great.

Swamp
The swamp will be another half day's journey, possibly longer with the hazards and treacherous footing.
Miles of crocodile and snake infested stagnant water, trees, and the occasional island poking from the muck. An ancient pillar or pile of cut stones pokes from the waters or lies scattered on the islands in various areas in the heart of the swamp.

Swampies
A dying race of amphibious frog-men. They lair in the stone rubble on the islands at the center of the swamp in dank, pools lying beneath the toppled walls and columns. They have no treasure, only bones and other natural trinkets, and the females stay here, protecting the few viable eggs which are laid in the pool. They do not venture outside of the swamp and were heavily decimated by the ravaging Fire Apes, though they managed to kill a few.

When the Cavemen wade through the muck approaching the domain of the Swampies they will see three dead apemen strung up on crude crossed poles.

In addition to the hazards of the swamp the Swampies have also heavily trapped the area leading to their domain.
Every turn the Cavemen must roll a 1d6. On a 1 or 2 they have encountered a trap or hazard. The trap or hazard can be avoided with a successful Saving Throw.

If they fail the Save the trap goes off or they blunder into the hazard.
If it is a trap or if they make a lot of noise blundering into the hazard they alert the Swampies who will arrive in 2d6 rounds.

Possible traps and hazards:
⦁Snare: the Caveman's foot is caught in a vine snare, jerking him into the air 20' where he takes 1d3 damage and dangles helplessly until he saws through the rope (a Dexterity check with a -2 penalty) or a companion climbs up the tree and cuts him down (at 0 penalty.) The time to cut down is 1d4 rounds (add 2 to this if the Caveman is cutting himself down.)
⦁Spear trap: a massive log spear flies out of the dense swamp and hits a Caveman for 2d6 damage. It is large and awkward and his movement will be 1/2 until someone makes a Strength check and pulls it ot of him.
⦁Spiked log: a log swings out of the trees and slams into the Caveman, doing 2d8 damage and sending him flying 20' back down the trail, possibly causing his companions to make Saving Throws to avoid being hit by their flying kin. Anyone hit by the Caveprojectile takes 1d4 damage.
⦁Quicksand: Save or get sucked down. Your friends have 1d6 rounds to make three successful Dexterity checks at -4 each (one Caveman or several cooperating, as long as they hit three successful checks) get you out or you die! If any of the rescuers rolls a natural 20 they fall in and suffer the consequences.
⦁Poisonous snake: attacks the Caveman. +1 to hit, AC 10, 3 hit points. If hit, Save or die horribly in 2d6 rounds!
⦁Green Slime: A pool of floating green slime on the water. It attacks any Caveman who blunders into it. Good luck Cavedude!

Swampies
Bipedal naked frog guys. A sad dying race who are pissed off at the world. Throw quite a few at the Caveman. It'll make them feel good to kick someone else's ass for a bit. Especially if they took some hits from the traps and swamp hazards.
HD: 1
Hp: 5
AC: 8 [11]
Attack: +1 to hit, spears (1d6)
Saving Throw: 17
Move: 90/30 on land, 120/40 in water
Alignment: Neutral
The Swampies have an irrational fear of fire. If even one torch is lit the Swampies will have a -2 to attack.

The Giant Snake and the Stirges
Two natural predators in the swamp. They stay away from the Swampies island for the most part as they have learned the Swampies spears and traps hurt!

When you need something to spice up the final bit through the swamp, throw one or both at them.
The giant snake would be a fantastic night enconter. They have to eat and sleep sometime.
Eat a couple.

The stirges would make good 'race to the edge of the swamp' encounter. The very last kick in the furry pants. Wearing them down for the finale to come. Fire is your friend.

Saturday, November 5, 2016

I love the idea of a funnel: low level characters run en masse, sent into a bloodbath to see who survives. They are great for one-shots when not all players can make it, you need a break as DM, or you just want to murder large amounts of characters for fun and amusement.
I've run a few and this one is the latest.

Special Abilities:
+1 Ac due to gristle and inherit toughness.
+4 to Str checks for climbing if a roll is deemed necessary.

Weapons:
Made of stone, wood, and bone and vulnerable to breakage. When each weapon rolls maximum on it's damage dice it has a 1-2 on a 1d6 of being damaged. If it is damaged the damage dice drops by one dice. When it goes below 1d4 damage dice it is useless as a weapon.

Armor:
Leather and hide: +2 to Ac
Leather and hide shield: +1 to Ac. Only allowed if a player thinks to ask about them. Don't offer it up.

Extra:
The tribal shaman has whipped up a batch of healing paste. Each Caveman gets one dose. When taken it heals 1d4 Hp.

Allow them to have grass rope, fire-bow and kit for making fires, water skins, etc.

COMBAT CHAOS (Yes it's a fumble chart....)
Caveman combat is violent and dirty with very little style compared to more modern warriors. The push, shove, jump, bash, and roll around a lot. They also tend to fight in dirty, natural places filled with rocks, loose dirt, downed trees, tangling bushes, etc.

Monday, October 31, 2016

I've seen several other OSR guys play and post their supernatural Race Classes for a while now and decided to throw mine out for Halloween.As always it's a work in progress.....
I have been a huge fan of the Nightlife RPG for over 25 years. Check it out here.
I also loved the supplement Night Howlers here.
For years i had made different supernatural races for the PC's to toy with. I showed a few of them earlier in this post for Victorian Horror here.

The following can be used with Classic D&D/ OSR game classes ranging from Fantasy to Modern. With a small bit of work they can be used as Race Classes.
They can also be used as alternatives to the standard D&D versions of these creatures. I have put my own spin on them.

A note on extended Ability scores:
In classic games ability scores tend to run from 3 to 18 with bonuses of +1 or +1-3, or some other combination.
I included ability score modifiers with each race and several may run under the minimum of 3 and maximum of 18. You can handle this a number of ways and most DM's will do one of the following:
⦁Keep the maximum ability score at 18, do not go above it.
⦁Extend the ability scores and bonuses above 18.
Both are perfectly valid. Go with what your comfortable.

I am using the following to try to keep it easier:
Keep the minimum/maximum to 3/18. Subtract/add the racial ability modifier as a bonus or penalty to the normal ability score bonus and an adjustment to ability score checks.
.
For example: a +2 Str adjustment for a vampire with a Strength score of 15 (+1) bonus.
The +2 Str adjustment is added to the natural +1 bonus for a +3 total bonus to melee attacks and damage.
A Dexterity score of 15 (+1) bonus with a +2 would receive an over all bonus of +3 to ranged attacks and to armor class. Et cetera.

Demons
Summoned to by witches covens, banished to Earth by their masters, or accidentally dropped through an inter-dimensional portal Demons sometimes end up trapped in the world. All are physically twisted in some way. Many have a bestial appearance (horns, hooves, claws, toad's features; the list is endless) while others look like beautiful men or women with red skin and only a few animalistic features. All tend to scheme and crave power and dominion over those around them.

Daemon
Built like humans but highly resistant to flame. They have small horns, claws, fangs, and bat wings but have learned to hide their appearances to survive. They tend towards lawful evil and will insist, when possible, on written contracts when hired for jobs. This was designed to keep them in line with their Masters in their fiery home.
Dex +2, Con +1, Int +2, Wis +2, Chs -2
⦁Claw or horn: 1d4 damage.
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Fire breath: once per day per two levels. 2d6 fire damage. 30' range.
⦁Fire tolerance: half damage from heat/fire damge, 1/4 with a successful Save.
⦁Flight: can fly at a rate of 180'/60' for a number of rounds equal to Constitution. Must rest 1d6 rounds after this.
⦁Regeneration: 1 hp per round, 2 at 9th HD. Cannot regenerate cold, holy, or magic damage and does not regenerate when dead.
⦁Unholy: when approaching a holy item the Daemon must make a Saving Throw with a 4 penalty to approach within 10' of the object. Direct touch does 1d6 damage.
⦁Vow: once giving their word with a bargain, contract, or a vow the Daemon has difficulty breaking it. To do so they must make a Saving Throw with an eight penalty to break it.
⦁-4 Saves vs cold

Goatman
Large humanoids with ram-like heads, furry legs and cloven hooves. Built for war and punishment, they are natural warriors and destroyers and tend to only listen to those stronger than they are. There are exceptions but it takes a brutal hand to keep most Goatmen in line. They favor large bladed axes and hate to hide their appearance from 'lesser beings' but have learned to do so to survive.
Str +4, Con +2, Int -4, Wis -4, Chs -4/0
⦁Bite, hoof, or horn: 1d6 damage.
⦁Berserk: if angered or attacked the Goatman must make a Saving Throw or fly into a rage attacking with a +2 to melee hits and damage, a -2 to ranged hits, and a -2 to AC. Once the source of the berserk has been defeated or has fled the Goatman must make another Saving Throw to calm down otherwise it will attack the nearest person. It can try a Saving Throw each round after to try to come out of the berserk.
⦁Fear: living creatures who come within 30' of the Goatman must make a Saving Throw or suffer a -2 penalty ot all actions.
⦁Freak: 0 Charisma with normal humans.
⦁Name of the beast: if the name of the Goatman is known and used in a spell the Goatman's allowed Saving Throw for these spells is at a -5 penalty. This applies to charms, summonings, protections, etc.
⦁Regeneration: 1 hp per round, 2 at 9th HD. Cannot regenerate iron, holy, or magic damage and does not regenerate when dead.
⦁Track: the Goatman can track by scent. It can do this at the same chance as a thief of equal HD attempting to hear noise on a 1d6.
⦁Unholy: when approaching a holy item the Goatman must make a Saving Throw with a 4 penalty to approach within 10' of the object. Direct touch does 1d6 damage.

Incubus/Succubus
Beautiful and exotic by human standards even with small horns and claws. They seduce to survive and with their alter for ability are masters of blending in with mankind. They are not as contract orientated as Daemons but are designed to keep their word once given. This is what has kept them slaves to their Hellish masters.
Dex +2, Int +2, Wis +2, Chs +2
⦁Alter form: can change appearance to a normal human looking form. They cannot take on a variety of forms, only a single specific non-demonic human looking form. If injured or within 10' of a holy item the incubus/succubus must make a Saving Throw to maintain this human appearance.
⦁Claw or horn: 1d4 damage.
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Diet restriction: must drain 4 hp per night or lose one Constitution point. The drain is via sex. It is not normal damage inflicted. The act itself removes the hp from the usually charmed victim. To stop the Con loss normal draining must continue nightly and the creature will gain back one Con point per night of normal draining.
⦁Regeneration: 1 hp per round, 2 at 9th HD. Cannot regenerate iron, holy, or magic damage and does not regenerate when dead. Constitution lost from the diet restriction is not regenerated.
⦁Seduction: as per Charm Person. Can be used once per day per three HD of the incubus/succubus. The subject recieves a 4 penalty to the Saving Throw.
⦁Travel: once per day per 2 HD. As per the Teleport spell.
⦁Vow: once giving their word with a bargain, contract, or a vow the incubus/succubus has difficulty breaking it. To do so they must make a Saving Throw with an eight penalty to break it.

LycanthropesHuman Form:
Those infected with various forms of lycanthropy appear normal in human form except for the mark of a pentagram somewhere on their bodies. It appears as a healed brand of a five sided star in circle.

Werebat
Dex +1, Con +1, Chs -2

Wereslime
Dex +1, Con +1, Chs -2

Werespider
Str +1, Con +1, Chs -2

Werewolf
Str +1, Con +1, Wis -2, Chs -2

All have the following abilities in human form as well as wereform.
⦁Alertness: only surprised on a 1 on 1d6.
⦁Animal panic: when coming within ten feet of natural animals, the animals must make a Saving Throw or panic and attempt to flee.
⦁Curse of the moon: on the three nights of the full moon the were involuntarily changes into wereform over the course of five rounds of agony. During this change their Intelligence drops to that of an animal as they lose all self. They will attack nearly every living thing they encounter on these nights, friend family, or foe.
⦁Destruction: to permanently kill a were it must have died from damage due to a silver weapon or its body must be burned to ash by fire. If its hit points are sent below 'death' by anything else it falls into a state resembling death but will awaken at dusk the following evening with 1 hp.
⦁Pentagram mark: the mark of the five pointed star is on their body somewhere. The were gains a +2 bonus to magic Saving Throws.

Wereform:
The change takes two rounds when in control. Wereslimes are large puddles of sentient goo whereas the others are a large humanoid form of there were-animal.

The were can change anytime after dark. Speech is possible but difficult due to changes in mouth and throat structures. The were is in control in their wereform although the werewolf tends towards berserking.

Werebat
Str +2, Dex +2, Con +2, Int -2, Chs 0
⦁Bite: 1d6 damage. Those who are bitten and survive must make a Saving Throw or become a werebat on the first night of the full moon on the following month.
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Flight: can wing it at speed of 180'/60
⦁Freak: 0 Charisma with normal humans
⦁Regenerate: 1 hp per round. 2 at 9th HD. Cannot regenerate damage from fire, magic, or silver and does not regenerate when dead.+2 AC: fur and muscle.
⦁+4 Saves vs disease and poison.

Wereslime
Str -2, Dex +4, Con +2, Int -2, Chs 0
⦁Acid touch: can turn this ability on or off as desired. Extrudes an acid which does 2d6 to objects it contacts. Those who are burned and survive must make a Saving Throw or become a wereslime on the first night of the full moon on the following month.
⦁Amorphous: A human sized puddle of goo. Can stretch into a thing puddle, under doors, up walls, etc. Can form grasping appendages to manipulate objects. It gains a +2 to AC due to its ability to shift around attacks.
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Freak: 0 Charisma with normal humans
⦁Regenerate: 1 hp per round. 2 at 9th HD. Cannot regenerate damage from cold, magic, or silver and does not regenerate when dead.+2 AC: fur and muscle.
⦁+4 Saves vs disease and poison.
⦁-4 Saves vs cold.

Werespider
Str +4, Dex +2, Con +1, Int -2, Chs 0
⦁Bite: 1d6 damage. Those who are bitten and survive must make a Saving Throw or become a werespider on the first night of the full moon on the following month.
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Flight: can wing it at speed of 180'/60
⦁Freak: 0 Charisma with normal humans
⦁Regenerate: 1 hp per round. 2 at 9th HD. Cannot regenerate damage from fire, magic, or silver and does not regenerate when dead.+2 AC: fur and muscle.
⦁Spiderclimb: as per the spell.
⦁Web: as per the spell. Can use once per day per three HD.
⦁+2 AC: hard carapace.
⦁+4 Saves vs disease and poison.

Werewolf
Str +4, Dex +1, Con +2, Int -2, Wis -2, Chs 0
⦁Berserk: notoriously dangerous, if angered or attacked the werewolf must make a Saving Throw or fly into a rage attacking with a +2 to melee hits and damage, a -2 to ranged hits, and a -2 to AC. Once the source of the berserk has been defeated or has fled the werewolf must make another Saving Throw to calm down otherwise he will attack the nearest person. He can try a Saving Throw each round after to try to come out of it.
⦁Bite or Claw: 1d6 damage. Those who are bitten and survive must make a Saving Throw or become a werewolf on the first night of the full moon on the following month.
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Freak: 0 Charisma with normal humans
⦁Regenerate: 1 hp per round. 2 at 9th HD. Cannot regenerate damage from fire, magic, or silver and does not regenerate when dead.
⦁+2 AC: fur and gristle.
⦁+4 Saves vs disease and poison.

OtherAmphibion
Scaled fishmen encountered in far reaching locations: from tropical lagoons to the deepest oceans. They will occasionally come on land out of curiosity or for other darker reasons. Others are exiled for crimes against their kin. Amphibions are easily aggravated especially when they have to hide their appearance from the world. They can speak but with a bubbling strangled quality.
Str +2, Con +2, Int -2, Wis -2, Chs -4/0
⦁Amphibious: the creature is equally comfortable in water or on land. It can breathe underwater. When fully immersed in water the amphibion will heal at the rate of 1 hp per minute.
⦁Claw or bite: 1d4 damage.
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Dehydrate: require x2 amount of water as a human. It will lose 1hp per hour when dried out.
⦁Freak: 0 Charisma with normal humans
⦁Swim: 150'/50'
⦁+2 AC: scales
⦁+4 Saves vs cold: can tolerate the icey depths of the seas.
⦁-4 Saves vs heat/fire

Ape/Beastman
Brought back to civilization as adults or raised by scientists, they are remnants of a lost civilization in hidden parts of the world such as the lost city of Opar. Savage or civilized, they are fearsome in appearance and are primitive, with apish features, long arms, and twisted muscular bodies covered in hair ranging from rusty red to brown and black.
Str +2, Dex +1, Con +2, Int -2, Wis -2, Chs -4/0
⦁Berserk: if angered or attacked the Beastmn must make a Saving Throw or fly into a rage attacking with a +2 to melee hits and damage, a -2 to ranged hits, and a -2 to AC. Once the source of the berserk has been defeated or has fled the Beastman must make another Saving Throw to calm down otherwise he will attack the nearest person. He can try a Saving Throw each round after to try to come out of it.
⦁Climber: as a Thief of equal HD (if he has class with the climb walls ability add a +20 percent bonus.)
⦁Fear of the Unknown: -2 to Saving Throws versus magic.
⦁Freak: 0 Charisma with normal humans.
⦁Primitive: -2 to rolls using modern technology such as firearms, vehicles, electronics, etc.
⦁+2 AC: fur and gristle

Automaton
These rare creations are the result of advanced, often far ahead of their time, inventors and scientists who have managed to create self-aware machines. Although they are viewed with curiosity and often mistrust and fear from society the Automaton often seeks approval and a sense of self-worth. For convenience and to mimic humanity they are often humanoid shaped metal constructs. Those that are built on a non-humanoid design often quickly adapt to a more humanoid form to help hide themselves from the outside world.
Str +2, Con +2, Int +2, Wis -2, Chs -4/0
⦁Crushing hands/weapon: 1d6 damage.
⦁Destruction: when an automaton's hp reach a level indicating death it deactivates and 'dies'. The body can be rebuilt or used for spare parts. If rebuilt the mental faculties of the original are gone. The new automaton is a new being without the experience or skill of the original.
⦁Freak: 0 Charisma with normal humans
⦁Immunity: sleep, charm, poison, disease
⦁No biologic function: requires no sleep, food, water, oxygen, etc.
⦁Power source: must recharge/renew power source 1 per three days or lose one pont of Con per hour until reaching 0 and deactivating. The fuel can be electricity, actual fuel, blood, etc.
⦁Repairs: does not heal. Must be repaired. Int check each hour for 1d6 hp repaired.
⦁+4 AC: armored
⦁+4 Saves vs cold and heat/fire: hardened casing

Boogeyman
These men and women have been changed by evil. Inheritors of a family curse, twisted by a deranged upbringing, possession by dark forces, these are just a few of the ways a normal person starts on the road and becomes a psychotic killing machine. Boogeymen are supernaturally endowed serial killers. The evil that taints them gives them enhanced abilities and erodes their minds to stalk and kill. They usually driven hunt a specific sort of prey. Some may try to sate this need by killng criminals or other members of society that they feel will not be missed. They will often justify these killings in their twisted minds. Some try to stop but eventually lose control and must kill again.
Str +2, Con +2, Wis -2, Chs -2
⦁Driven to kill: the Boogeyman is cursed with the impulse to take one human life per week. If he fails to do this he loses 1d6 Wis and Charisma per day until the deed is done. All lost attribute pointss return immediately.
⦁Mask of sanity: when stressed must make a Saving Throw or Charisma drops by four points.
⦁Murder machine: all melee dmg is one dice higher.
⦁Obsession: must pick one situation such as encountering drunks, red headed prostitutes, elves, teens having sex, etc. When this situation is encountered the Boogeyman must make a Saving Throw to not begin stalking the object of the obsession and eventually trying to kill them.
⦁Regenerate: 1 hp per round. 2 at 9th HD. Cannot regenerate damage from magic or fire and does not regenerate when dead.
⦁Shadow stalk: can use once per day per two levels. Can teleport instantly from shadow to shadow. The range is 30' plus 5 per HD past 1st.
⦁Track victim: Must have seen the target previously. To track must concentrate for a full round. With a successful Int check, with a one bonus per five levels, the Boogeyman senses which direction a chosen target has gone.

Created
Victor Frankenstein’s experiments inspired others to experiment on the dead. Over the decades partial and flawed copies of his notes have made their way into forbidden circles of colleges and mad doctors dreaming of creating life. From these clues a rare few discover the secrets of resurrection and the Created is the result of these experiments. Most do not survive more than a few minutes after their awakening. Those that do often go mad and turn on their creator, destroying the creator, themselves, or sometimes both. Those that do survive and escape find they are outcasts in the world. The Created are a horrific sight of a gigantic body of stitched together parts.
Str +4, Con +4, Wis -2, Chs -4/0
⦁Ageless: does not age.
⦁Animal hostility: when coming within ten feet of natural animals the animals must make a Saving Throw or panic and attempt to flee.
⦁Cold Immunity: half damage from cold damage, 1/4 with a successful Save.
⦁Fear of fire: if confronted with fire the size of a torch or larger the Created must make a Saving Throw. If successful it has a -2 penalty to all actions near the fire. If it fails it goes Berserk (as per Beastman above) and attacks those around it.
⦁Freak: 0 Charisma with normal humans
⦁Massive stride: the Created move at a rate of 150'/50'.
⦁Regeneration: 1 hp per round, 2 at 9th HD. Cannot regenerate fire or magic damage and does not regenerate when dead.
⦁+2 AC: massive muscle and bone structure.
⦁+4 Saves vs disease and poison.

Dhampir
Children born of a human mother and a vampire father they exist in the world of both the living and the undead. As a number of vampires have spread from their ancenstal lands the number of Dhampir has risen as well. They are often successful vampire hunters, able to detect undead. They are also cursed with their father's lust for blood. Many are nomads, rejected and feared if their true nature is discovered. Dhampir's appear as normal men or women with small fangs and pale skin.
Str +2, Dex +1, Con +1, Chs +2
⦁Bite: 1d4 damage.
⦁Blood healing: for every two hp damage done with the bite the Dhampir heals one hp.
⦁Curse of blood: when near a source of fresh blood the Dhampir must make a Saving Throw or attempt to feed on the source by any means.
⦁Dark vision: 60'
⦁Sense undead: within 30' of an undead the Dhampir gets to roll a Saving Throw to detect them for what they are.
⦁Sunlight: when in direct sunlight all actions are at a -2 penalty.
⦁+2 Saves vs disease and poison.

Gargoyle
Magical beasts brought to life from stone gargoyle's haunt the darkened skies and rooftops, hiding from the sun in the daytime. They appear as dark thick hided humanoids with a variety of demonic horns, claws, fangs and wings. Often savage they do have the ability to speak when they have to. They often keep to themselves hunting small animals and strays for food. Sometimes one will go rogue and make a meal out of an unsuspecting victim.
Str +2, Con +2, Int -4, Wis -2, Chs -4/0
⦁Bite or claw: 1d6 damage.
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Damage reduction: half damage from all damage except magic, iron, and sunlight. This is reduced to 0 damage at 9th HD.
⦁Flight: can fly at a rate of 180'/60.
⦁Freak: 0 Charisma with normal humans
⦁Sunlight: gargoyles take 1d6 damage when exposed to direct sunlight. This reflects them turning to stone as the light destroys them. They must heal this damage naturally and if killed by the sunlight they appear as statues.
⦁+2 AC: thick hides.
⦁+4 Saves vs magic: magical creatures.

Ghoul
Ghouls are men and women who have transformed into a monstrous parody of themselves either by a curse or degeneration and are compelled to eat the rotting flesh of corpses. They haunt morgues and graveyards searching for corpses to sate their fiendish desires. They often live in shabby underground tunnels and warrens beneath their feeding grounds, away from normal society, only emerging at night to prowl around. Ghouls look like normal men and women but with unusually sharp, dirty teeth and an unsettling but hard to place oddness about their features and paleness of skin.
Str +1, Dex +1, Con +2, Wis -2, Chs -4/0
⦁Bite: 1d4 damage.
⦁Curse of the grave: ghouls must eat four pounds of rotting human flesh per day or suffer a loss of one Constitution point per day. Feeding stops the Con loss and if the diet is maintained the ghoul gains one point of Con back per day.
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Freak: 0 Charisma with normal humans.
⦁Obsession, rotted human flesh: if the ghoul encounters any it must make a Saving Throw or attempt to devour it.
⦁Regeneration: 1 hp per round, 2 at 9th HD. Cannot regenerate fire, magic, or silver damage and does not regenerate when dead. Constitution lost from the curse of the grave is not regenerated.
⦁Sunlight: in direct sunlight the ghoul suffers a -2 penalty to all actions.
⦁+2 AC: rubbery.
⦁+4 Saves vs disease and poison: hardy.

Rakshasa
Demons or dark spirits given flesh the Rakshasa is a horror from the east. It has a particular difficulty with Hindu holy symbols and items. It is a large hairy humanoid with massive fangs and claws. It can enter the minds of individuals, find a person or being they trust, then appear as that person or being. They then lure them into a secluded area and feast on their victims flesh.
Str +2, Con +2, Int +2, Chs -2/0
⦁Bite or claw: 1d6 damage.
⦁Curse of flesh: the Rakshasa must consume 4hp of living human, demihuman, or humanoid flesh daily or begin to crave it on the next day without feeding. When they crave it and a living target is within sight the Rakshasa must make a Saving Throw or attempt to devour the creature.
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Destruction: to permanently destroy the Rakshasa the final damage that pushes it into death must be dealt with a blessed crossbow bolt. If it is 'killed' by any other method or damage it falls into a state resembling death but will awaken at dusk the following evening with 1 hp.
⦁Freak: 0 Charisma with normal humans in its true form.
⦁Regeneration: 1 hp per round, 2 at 9th HD. Cannot regenerate fire, magic, or holy damage and does not regenerate when dead.
⦁Sunlight: in direct sunlight the Rakshasa suffers 1d6 damage per round.
⦁Trust form: when stalking its prey the Rakshasa can make an Intelligence check. If successful it has entered the mind of its victim and found the one person in the world that victim trusts and can assume the physical appearance of that one person. This Int check receives a +1 bonus per every 3 HD of the Rakshasa. This acts as a Charm Person spell and if the victim fails their Saving Throw they believe completely that the Rakshasa is their friend and will willingly follow it, usually to their doom. If they are suspicious the victim receives a two bonus to their Saving Throw. If injured or within 10' of a holy item the Rakshasa must make a Saving Throw to maintain this human appearance.
⦁Unholy: when approaching a holy item a Rakshasa must make a Saving Throw to approach within 10' of the object. If this is a holy item from Hindu mythology the Save has a four penalty. Direct touch does 1d6 damage.

Serpentman
Their ancestors ruled the primordial world before men became men. Hiding in tunnels and secret places in the earth the Serpentmen have existed along side mankind, waiting for their chance to reclaim their lost glory and empires. Modern Serpentmen are adept at blending in with mankind either by magical disguise or stealth and trickery, often using minions as their public face. They view humans as inferior 'monkeys' and most desire nothing short of ruling the world by gaining knowledge and power. Theirs is a tradition of powerful magic and sorcery; it is not uncommon for Serpentmen to belong to magic using classes.
Str +1, Dex +2, Con +1, Int +2, Chs -4/0
⦁Bite: 1d4 damage. Three times per day the Serpentman can inject poison via the bite doing an extra 2d6 damage, Save for half.
⦁Climb: the sinuous bodies allow for climbing as a thief of equal HD (if he has class with the climb walls ability add a +20 percent bonus.)
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Freak: 0 Charisma with normal humans in its true form.
⦁+2 AC: scales
⦁+4 poison resistance: natural immunity
⦁+4 magic resistance: eldritch race.
⦁-4 save vs cold: cold blooded.

Worm-man
No one is truly sure of the worm-men's origins. They may have mutated beneath the earth, perhaps naturally or due to some magical or man-made accident, and have come above ground to walk among us. They appear as humanoid worms with two six sets of black eyes and a arge fanged maw. They are quite intelligent and pick up language and customs quickly. They favor using their consume likeness ability to infiltrate and enjoy the comforts of society.
Dex +2, Con +2, Int +2, Chs -4/0
⦁Acid spit: three times per day the worm-man can spit a caustic acid from its mouth. Damage is 2d6 and range is 10'.
⦁Bite: 1d4 damage.
⦁Consume likeness: the worm-man can swallow a human corpse taking three rounds to do so. After 1d6+6 minutes of bloated digesting the outer form of the worm-man splits open and the tissue below assumes the form of the now absorbed corpse. This appearance will last as long as the worm-man desires unless he is wounded or rendered unconscious. When either occurs it must make a Saving Throw to retain the form otherwise its skin splits open and sloughs off the human appearance.
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Freak: 0 Charisma with normal humans
⦁Regenerate: 1 hp per round. 2 at 9th HD. Cannot regenerate damage from cold, fire, salt, or magic and does not regenerate when dead.
⦁Salt: worm-men take damage from salt. Contact with salt causes 1d6 damage.
⦁Spiderclimb: as per the spell.
⦁Squishy: the worm-men take minimum damage from piercing attacks.
⦁-2 Saves vs cold and fire.

UndeadAswang
The Aswang is an unusual monster from Filipino lore. Its traits vary wildly in lore combining traits of vampires, ghouls, weres, and witches. During the day they appear as normal people with normal jobs and normal families. They act no differently from any other person around them. They do tend to have bloodshot eyes and it is said the reelection in them is inverted. At night they emerge from their homes, transformed into a hideous demonic thing with fangs and wings. The Aswang does not require nor crave blood or meat but they do enjoy feasting on them.
Str +2, Dex +1, Con +2, Chs -2/0
⦁Bite (1d4)
⦁Charm: as per the spell. -4 to victim's Save if victim previously bitten by the Aswang.
⦁Damage reduction: half damage from all damage except magic, fire, and silver. This is reduced to 0 damage at 9th HD.
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Flight: 150'/50'
⦁Freak: 0 Charisma with normal humans
⦁Infection: if a victim dies from biting the ictim will rise at sundown three days later as an Aswang.
⦁Invitation: cannot enter a private dwelling without an invitation from someone living within.
⦁Repulsion: if presented with a mirror the Aswang must make a Saving Throw to approach within 10' of the object.
⦁Running water: if submerged the Aswang takes 1d6 damage pe round.
⦁Spiderclimb: as per the spell.
⦁Undead: does not eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. Immune to charm, sleep, disease, and poison. +2 AC.
⦁Unholy: when approaching a holy item an Aswang must make a Saving Throw with a 4 penalty to approach within 10' of the object. Direct touch does 1d6 damage.

Lich
Preserved by magical means a lich is a skeletal, cadaverous undead fiercely intelligence and highly motivated, often using lesser undead and undead to achieve its goals. They are often master strategists and ruthless in their actions. They often sought out their transformation from the living as a form of immortality and store their soul in a magical receptical called a phylactery. They tend towards magic using and clerical classes. If using my ritual magic rules HERE they have an advantage in casting.
Con +2, Int +4, Wis +2, Chs -4/0
⦁Damage reduction: half damage from all damage except magic, fire, and holy. This is reduced to 0 damage at 9th HD.
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Destruction: the lich's life force is stored in a phylactery, a magical box, stature, etc which stores the lich's soul. The lich's existence depends on the phylactery and if it is destroyed so is the lich. If the lich's hit points are sent below 'death' by anything else it falls into a state resembling death but will awaken at dusk the following evening with 1 hp.
⦁Freak: 0 Charisma with normal humans
⦁Undead: does not eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. Immune to charm, sleep, disease, and poison. +2 AC.
⦁Unholy: when approaching a holy item a lich must make a Saving Throw with a 4 penalty to approach within 10' of the object. Direct touch does 1d6 damage.
⦁+1 extra spell per spellcaster level.
⦁+4 to Magic ritual rolls: occult master.
⦁+4 Saves vs magic: imbued with magic.Livng Dead
The Living Dead are intelligent reanimated corpses with free will and a craving for living flesh. They can be the result of black magic, alchemical experimentation, radiation, and other bizarre methods. They appear as corpses with varying levels of decay. Once reanimated their rate of decay is halted by the eating of living flesh. The Living Dead, with the proper precautions, can blend into society and try to lead a normal life. At least until their craving overwhelm them and they eat their neighbors. With makeup, cologne, and poor gas lamp lighting even severely decayed ones can pass for a living human.
Str +2, Con +2, Chs -4
⦁Bite: 1d3 damage. The living dead can also heal from consuming living flesh while biting. It regains 1 hp per 2 hp of bite damage to a source of living flesh. It can also use the flesh to heal Ability score damage at a rate of 4 hp per point of ability score regained.
⦁Damage reduction: half damage from all damage except magic and fire. This is reduced to 0 damage at 9th HD.
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Curse of flesh: the Living Dead must consume 4 hp of living human, demihuman, or humanoid flesh daily or begin to crave it on the next day without feeding. When they crave it and a living human/demihuman/humanoid is within sight the Living Dead must make a Saving Throw with a four penalty or attempt to devour the creature.
⦁Undead: does not eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. Immune to charm, sleep, disease, and poison. +2 AC.
⦁Unhealing: the living dead do not heal naturally. They must consume living flesh as outlined in Bite above.

Mummy
Ancient mummified corpses brought back to life with magic. Unlike guardian mummies this variety is quite intelligent and will often have a personal agenda. They are most likely to take magic using or clerical classes.
Str +2, Con +2, Int +4, Chs -4
⦁Damage reduction: half damage from all damage except magic, fire, and holy. This is reduced to 0 damage at 9th HD.
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Drain life: with a successful hit the mummy drains life from a victim doing 1d6 hp damage. It also cannot heal naturally or regenerate but the life drain heals them 1hp per 2hp of damage caused by it.
⦁Fear: living creatures who come within 30' of a mummy must make a Saving Throw or suffer a -2 penalty ot all actions.
⦁Fire vulnerability: a mummy takes x2 damage from fire attacks.
⦁Undead: does not eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. Immune to charm, sleep, disease, and poison. +2 AC.
⦁Unholy: when approaching a holy item a mummy must make a Saving Throw with a 4 penalty to approach within 10' of the object. Direct touch does 1d6 damage.
⦁+4 Saves vs magic: imbued with magic.

Nosferatu
A species of Eastern European vampire. The Nosferatu is noted for its unsettling appearance: thin haired or balding, prominent fangs, and corpse-like appearance. It has many of the powers and weaknesses of the classic Vampire (Strigoi.) Popularized in the films Nosferatu.
Str +2, Dex +2, Con +2, Chs -4
⦁Animal control: the nosferatu can summon a swarm of rats or bats to do its bidding. The range of the summons is 100 yards per HD and the time to arrive is within 1d6 rounds or longer as DM decides.
⦁Bed of earth: the nosferatu must rest in a bed of earth from its original graveyard or vicinity of its grave or take one point of Constitution damage per night. This Constitution loss can be stopped when it rests again on the soil. The Con lost must be healed with the Bite below.
⦁Bite: 1d4 damge. The nosferatu can also heal from drinking fresh blood while biting. It regains 1 hp per 2 hp of bite damage done to a source of fresh blood. It can also use the blood to heal from Ability score damage at a rate of 4 hp per point of ability score regained.
⦁Curse of blood: the nosferatu must consume 4 hp of fresh blood nightly or lose one point of Constitution per night without. To heal this the required 4 hps of blood must be drank and an additional blood consumed as outlined above under Bite.
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Damage reduction: half damage from all damage except for fire, magic, holy, sunlight, and wooden stakes. This is reduced to 0 damage at 9th HD.
⦁Destruction: cutting off the head destroys a nosferatu. It is also destroyed if burned to ash by the sun. If its hit points are sent below 'death' by anything else it falls into a state resembling death but will awaken at dusk the following evening with 1 hp.
⦁Undead: does not eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. Infect: if a victim dies from blood draining the corpse will rise at sundown three days later as a nosferatu.
⦁Invitation: it cannot enter a private dwelling without an invitation from someone living within.
⦁Repulsion: garlic causes the nosferatu to make a Saving Throw to approach within 10'.
⦁Staked: the nosferatu is incapacitated when a stake is driven through its heart (-6 attack.) If the stake is removed the nosferatu returns to life with one hp.
⦁Sunlight: direct sunlight causes 1d6 damage per round.
⦁Travel: as per Teleport. It can do so once per day per two HD.
⦁Immune to charm, sleep, disease, and poison. +2 AC.
⦁Unholy: when approaching a holy item a nosferatu must make a Saving Throw with a 4 penalty to approach within 10' of the object. Direct touch does 1d6 damage.

Penangallan
A female vampiric creature from SE Asian folklore. During the daytime the Penangallan appears as a normal woman. At night its head,and internal organs detach from the body and fly out into the night. The organs are sometimes said to sparkle like fireflies in the dark. The Penangallan craves blood and enjoys the taste of it, pregnant women and newborn children.
Str -2, Dex +2, Con +2, Cha 0
Con +1, Chs +2
⦁Bite or tongue damage: 1d4 damage. The Penangallan has a unique ability to drain blood at a distance. It's tongue can stretch out 30' and is invisible to the eye.
⦁Craving: the Penangallan craves the taste of blood but does not gain sustenance from it. It prefers the taste of newborn blood to all others. Each night it must make a Saving Throw to not assume its vampiric form and seek out its bloody meal.
⦁Damage reduction: half damage from all damage except for fire, magic, and holy. This is reduced to 0 damage at 9th HD.
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Destruction: several ways are known to destroy the creature. When it is about in its undead form glass can be poured in it's open neck. When the creature returns at sunrise it destroys its organs on the hidden glass killing it. Another method is to bless the body and then cremate it to ash. The Penangallan will perish as sunrise.
⦁Fear: living creatures who come within sight of a Penangallan in it's undead form must make a Saving Throw or suffer a -2 penalty ot all actions.
⦁Flight: 150'/50'
⦁Repulsion: pepper mixed with garlic causes the Penangallan to make a Saving Throw to approach within 10'.
⦁Thorny leaves: houses and windows wrapped with thorny plant leaves causes trouble for the creature. It must make a Saving Throw or take 1d6 damage from the thorns ripping into its intestines. When it is damaged it cannot enter and must make another Save the next round to attempt to damage. Failure brings more damage. It can continue this until it gives up or is successful.
⦁Undead: when leaving her body the Penangallan is considered undead and is Immune to charm, sleep, disease, and poison. +2 AC.
⦁Vinegar bath..... the creature must dip its organs in a vat or bath of vinegar to ease its them back into its body. If it does not have vinegar available it can push its organs back in but takes 1d6 damage to do so. The odor of vinegar stays with her, even in her daytime human form.

Revenant
A walking corpse returned from the grave with the intent of revenging itself on the person or persons who killed it. The creature is mentally damaged, caught in an endless loop of even after it kills those responsible for its death. It will project its anger and murderous intent on innocent people who have a resemblance to its killer or killers.
Str +2, Con +2, Int -2, Wis -2, Chs -4
⦁Damage reduction: half damage from all damage except for fire, holy, and magic. This is reduced to 0 damage at 9th HD.
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Undead: does not eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. Immune to charm, sleep, disease, and poison. +2 AC.
⦁Unholy: when approaching a holy item a revenant must make a Saving Throw with a 4 penalty to approach within 10' of the object. Direct touch does 1d6 damage.
⦁Tortured: when the revenant sees a person who looks similar to the one who killed it the DM will require the revenant to make a Saving Throw or become obsessed with this person, convincing itself that this IS the one who killed it and will stalk and eventually try to kill the innocent person.

Strigoi
Classic Vampire type popularized in Dracula.
Str +2, Dex +2, Con +2, Chs +2
⦁Bed of earth: the strigoi must rest in a bed of earth from its original graveyard or vicinity of its grave or take one point of Constitution damage per night. This Constitution loss can be stopped when it rests again on the soil. The Con lost must be healed with the Bite below.
⦁Bite: 1d4 damge. The strigoi can also heal from drinking fresh blood while biting. It regains 1 hp per 2 hp of bite damage done to a source of fresh blood. It can also use the blood to heal from Ability score damage at a rate of 4 hp per point of ability score regained.
⦁Change form: the strigoi can change into the forms of a bat, mist, or wolf. The change takes one full round. (see below for stats)
⦁Curse of blood: the strigoi must consume 4 hp of fresh blood nightly or lose one point of Constitution per night without. To heal this the required 4 hps of blood must be drank and an additonal blood consumed as outlined above under Bite.
⦁Damage reduction: half damage from all damage except for fire, magic, holy, sunlight, and wooden stakes. This is reduced to 0 damage at 9th HD.
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Destruction: cutting off the head destroys the strigoi. It is also destroyed if burned to ash by the sun. If its hit points are sent below 'death' by anything else it falls into a state resembling death but will awaken at dusk the following evening with 1 hp.
⦁Hypnotize: as per Charm Person or Sleep. The victim gets a Saving Throw to avoid the effects. This Save is at a -4 if the victim has previously been drained of blood by the strigoi.
⦁Infect: if a victim dies from blood draining the corpse will rise at sundown three days later as a strigoi.
⦁Invitation: it cannot enter a private dwelling without an invitation from someone living within.
⦁Repulsion: garlic causes the strigoi to make a Saving Throw to approach within 10'.
⦁Running water: if submerged the strigoi takes 1d6 damage pe round.
⦁Staked: the strigoi is incapacitated when a stake is driven through its heart (-6 attack.) If the stake is removed the strigoi returns to life with one hp.
⦁Sunlight: direct sunlight causes 1d6 damage per round.
⦁Summon animals: the strigoi can summon a swarm of rats or bats to do its bidding or a pack of dogs or wolves. The range of the summons is 100 yards per HD and the time to arrive is within 1d6 rounds or longer as DM decides.
⦁Undead: does not eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. Undead: does not eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. Immune to charm, sleep, disease, and poison. +2 AC.
⦁Unholy: when approaching a holy item a strigoi must make a Saving Throw with a 4 penalty to approach within 10' of the object. Direct touch does 1d6 damage.

Batform
Strength drops to half. All others stay the same.
All strigoi abilities and weaknesses remain except it cannot use hypnotism. Flight is gained at 180'/60'.

Mistform
Physical form is that of a mist. It cannot use special abilities in this form.
The only damage that affects this form is fire, holy, and sunlight. All others are ignored. The strigoi moves at a rate of 150'/50' in this form and can flow up walls, through keyholes, under doors, etc.

Wolfform
All stats remain the same.
All strigoi abilities and weaknesses remain except it cannot use hypnotism.
Move is 150'/50'. Bite is now 1d6 damage.

Zombie, Intelligent
Unlike shambling servant zombies these are intelligent although greatly reduced from their life. They have little trouble blending in with society. They have few weaknesses to exploit.
Str +2, Dex -2, Con +4, Int -4, Wis -4, Chs -4
⦁Bite: 1d3 damage.
⦁Damage reduction: half damage from all damage except for fire and magic. This is reduced to 0 damage at 9th HD.
⦁Dark Vision 60'
⦁Destruction: to destroy this type of zombie it must be incapacitated then salt must be poured into it's mouth and its lips sewed shut (a three round process.) Blessed candles are lit (one round) and a prayer is said over the corpse (one round.) Once these are done, and the zombie doesn't have time to rip open its lips and spit out the salt before the process has been completed, the it will fall over, truely dead. If its hit points are sent below 'death' by anything else it falls into a state resembling death but will awaken at dusk the following evening with 1 hp.
⦁Undead: does not eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. Immune to charm, sleep, disease, and poison. +2 AC.
⦁Unhealing: can only heal by consuming living flesh. Heals 1 hp per 2 hp consumed.